From 5 to 10 October 2025, a joint mission of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Body (STAB) to the 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage and ICOMOS will be carried out in relation to the preservation and management of the underwater components of the World Heritage property “Ancient City of Nessebar.”
The mission involves Prof. Robert Domżał (Poland), Chair of STAB, Dr. Azzedine Karra (Morocco), expert in underwater heritage, Dr. Kalin Dimitrov, member of STAB and archaeologist with the CUA, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Municipality of Nessebar, and the Centre for Underwater Archaeology (CUA).
The joint mission follows a recommendation of the World Heritage Committee and has been approved by the Bureau of the UNESCO 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage. It is worth recalling that in 2017 Bulgaria was the first country to host a joint mission under the two key UNESCO cultural conventions – the 1972 World Heritage Convention and the 2001 Underwater Cultural Heritage Convention.
The aim of the mission is to objectively assess the state of the underwater heritage of Nessebar and to provide recommendations both for its preservation and for its integration into the Management and Conservation Plan of the World Heritage property.
The mission will also have the opportunity to learn about the activities of the CUA, which is expected to be transformed into a UNESCO Category 2 Institute for Underwater Heritage in the coming months. Members of the mission will meet with the participants of the international seminar on underwater heritage, organized by the CUA within the framework of the UNESCO Participation Programme. A one-day visit to the CUA’s base in Sozopol is also planned, where the delegation will be introduced to the Centre’s research facilities and scientific equipment.
The implementation of the mission is made possible thanks to the active cooperation between the Ministry of Culture, the Municipality of Nessebar, the Bulgarian Delegation to UNESCO, the National Commission for UNESCO, and the Centre for Underwater Archaeology.